The present invention relates to an ink jet recording medium which comprises a support having thereon an ink receptive layer, a recorded image, and a method for viewing an image recorded on the aforesaid medium, and in more detail to an ink jet recording medium which comprises a support exhibiting optical characteristics having thereon an ink receptive layer, a recorded image, and a method for viewing an image recorded on the aforesaid medium. The present invention relates specifically to an ink jet recording medium for forming medical images which is suitable for displaying images of the interior of a human body which are obtained by medial diagnosis and a method for viewing the image recorded on the aforesaid medium.
Heretofore, examination methods for imaging the interior of human body have included ultrasonography, medical thermography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography (PET), and a method employing radiation, such as X-rays. The resulting image information is recorded on a silver halide photographic film which comprises a blue tinted transparent support having thereon a recording layer. Subsequently, the resulting film is placed on a so-called viewing box in which a light source is provided which emits white light and is viewed utilizing transmitted light. Accordingly, image viewing locations are limited, because the aforesaid viewing box is required.
A method which avoids the location restriction includes a method in which images are viewed employing reflected light. In such cases, images are formed on a white reflection recording medium such as paper and are then viewed. As a result, viewing locations are not particularly limited as long as the viewing location is bright.
However, in regard to images which have been subjected to diagnosis employing conventional silver halide light-sensitive photographic materials, images formed on reflection media results in a sense of incongruity. Further, for strict diagnosis and judgment, viewing methods analogous to the conventional method are preferred after all.
Accordingly, the following image recording medium is sought. Diagnosis is carried out utilizing transmitted light in the same manner as before. Thereafter, if desired, it is possible to view images at a requested place such as a hospital room for explanation to a patient, without employing a viewing box which requires a large room.
Further, image output is carried out as follows: Information and image digital information, which have been recorded directly on silver halide film via a screen film, are recorded on a silver halide film, using a laser imager and is then subjected to wet system development or dry system development employing heat. Such a system, employing silver halide film, has been widely used due to high reliability as well as formation of excellent image quality.
However, the aforesaid laser imager is relatively expensive, and the development apparatus is relatively large. Occasionally, image quality analogous to the silver halide film is not needed. Therefore, less expensive and smaller imagers are needed.
Employed as image forming methods applied to a down-sized apparatus may be a wire dot output system, a thermosensitive color forming output system, a thermosensitive fusion transfer output system, a thermosensitive sublimation transfer output system, an electrophotographic output system, and an ink jet output system which are applied to various office uses. Of these, in the ink jet output system, images as well as text are recorded in such a manner that minute ink droplets are projected employing various operation principles so as to adhere onto recording materials, such as paper. The aforesaid ink jet output system exhibits features such as a relatively small size and low price. Commonly employed as ink jet recording materials are those which are prepared by applying an ink receptive layer as a recording layer onto various supports. The aforesaid ink receptive layer is divided mainly into a so-called swelling type ink receptive layer comprised mainly of hydrophilic binders, and a void type ink receptive layer which has a void layer in the recording layer. Among these, ink jet recording media, having the void type ink receptive layer, comprise a support having thereon, as an ink receptive layer, the void layer in which voids are formed by allowing fine particles to be incorporated in the hydrophilic binders. These aforesaid ink jet recording media have advantages such as high ink absorbability, less tendency of image beading in the region of large ink amounts, and less degradation of image quality in high density regions.
In recent years, a number of investigations have been performed seeking high quality images which employ ink jet recording. One of these investigations makes it possible to enhance transparency by employing fine particles having a smaller diameter and lower refractive index as fine particles employed to form the void type ink absorbing layer. In addition, by doing so, it has been found that it is possible to efficiently form voids, to achieve relatively high glossiness and to produce in higher density images.
Further, in order to enhance water resistance as well as moisture resistance of dyes, heretofore, proposed have been various methods in which dyes are fixed with binders. A particularly effective means is addition of polymers having tertiary or quaternary nitrogen atoms. A great many methods are proposed in patent publications including for example, Japanese Patent Application Open to Public Inspection Nos. 57-36692, 53-49113, 58-24492, 63-224988, 63-307979, 59-198186, 59-198188, 60-46288, 61-61887, 61-72581, 61-252189, 62-174184, 63-162275, and 6-153798. Through such technical progress, in recent years, the kinds of medical images have increased which can be formed employing ink jet printing and can be employed for diagnosis. In addition, a certain kind of image is recorded on recording materials such as paper and viewed utilizing reflected light.
However, there have been no ink jet recording media which make it possible to view images recorded by the ink jet system utilizing either transmitted light or reflected light and to use the aforesaid images for practical diagnosis.
Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording medium which makes it possible to view images recorded by an ink jet recording system utilizing either transmitted light or reflected light and to use the aforesaid images for practical diagnosis, and a viewing method using the same.
The above-described aspect of the invention can be achieved following structure.
One structure of the invention is an ink-jet recording medium comprising a support having thereon an ink receptive layer, wherein the support comprises a white-colored substrate and a blue-colored substrate laminated with each other.